Biography of María Francisca de Asís de Braganza (1800-1834)

First wife of Carlos María Isidro de Borbón, born at the Palacio Real in Lisbon on 22 April 1800 and died in England on August 28, 1834. From its position of consort of which could have been Carlos V of Spain, he was one of the personalities that most prompted the so-called "realists" against Fernando VII.

Daughter third Juan VI, King of Portugal and Brazil and Doña Carlota Joaquina, daughter of Carlos IV of Spain, during his childhood lived in Brazil, where they had taken refuge the Portuguese royal family following the Napoleonic invasion. February 22, 1816 in Rio de Janeiro signed marriage contracts between Doña María Francisca of Assisi and his sister Doña María Isabel de Braganza, infante don Carlos María Isidro de Borbón and his brother, the King of Spain, Fernando VII. Although the Spanish Court attempted to that this be maintained in secrecy, the Brazilian Court did audiences with great pomp. The two princesses disembarked in the port of Cadiz 4 September 1816, accompanied by father Cirilo de Alameda. The next day marriages took place by proxy. The double wedding took place in the Church of San Francisco el Grande in Madrid on 29 September of the same year. Doña María Francisca had their first son, don Carlos Luis, at the Palacio Real in Madrid on January 31, 1818; the couple had also other sons, named don Juan (born at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez in 1820) and don Fernando (born 1822).

He had a special reception at the Court, not only for being the sister of Queen Doña María Isabel, but because also Fernando VII always showed predilection by his brother don Carlos, who was imprisoned with him in Valençay. The lack of male succession of the King gave rise to intrigues and ambitions that played a key role this lady, who always defended the rights to the throne of don Carlos María, even at the time when this was still true to his brother - did not protest the annulment of the laws of Felipe V (March 29, 1830) that made him heir to the throne until April 1833after it was expelled to Portugal-. Doña María Francisca and her sister the Princess of Beira provided great services to the supporters of don Carlos. The sister-in-law of King was in La Granja, along with her husband and King, when the latter signed the decree which repealed the pragmatic sanction and became heir to Spain to don Carlos (shortly after the infanta Luisa Carlota, wife of infante don Francisco de Paula, broke with his own hands the document and slapped the Minister who had submitted it to the dying King to sign it). Months before his death, Fernando VII, aware that most intrigues to lionize to don Carlos came from his clique and especially of his sister, Doña María Francisca, Portugal expelled the Princess of Beira (Doña María Teresa de Braganza, sister of Doña María Francisca, and after the death of the last to marry don Carlos María)"allowing" Doña María Francisca and her husband arranged to it (March 1833). After marriage and children moved to England and settled in a house in Gospert, villa close to Portsmouth.

It died shortly after her husband departed for Spain ahead of their troops. His mortal remains were transferred to the Cathedral of San Giusto, Trieste, considered "EL Escorial" of the Carlists.

Doña María Francisca de ASIS was a woman of strong temperament that historian González Doria, taking the description of an author who does not mention, he described as "a fat barbariana capable of releasing tacos beating a muleteer in la Mancha". Its strong character was manifest on the occasions in which learned that Fernando VII would marry again after widowed twice successively: in the first one he suffered a nervous attack and had to be attended by Koberwein, a doctor of Saxony (when knew that Fernando VII would marry third wife Doña María Josefa Amalia of Saxony)(, in 1819); After her death, Fernando VII promised with María Cristina de Borbón (his fourth wife) and Doña María Francisca, knowing it, suffered an attack of hysteria that threw out the window a valuable crockery of sterling silver with gold inlays. Was a great fan of the arts, especially painting, coming to perform works of true value. The Academy of San Fernando retains several drawings of his hand. She was portrayed by Lacoma and picture is preserved in the Casita del Príncipe, El Escorial.

Bibliography

BURGO, J. OF THE. Bibliography of the Carlist Wars and the political struggles of the 19th century; background since 1814 and Appendix until 1936. Pamplona, 1954.

EZQUERRA of the BAYO, j. portrait of Spanish women in the 19th century. Madrid, 1924.